Proyecto Las Compuertas Cabernet Franc
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted lamb, grilled ribeye steak, roasted duck
✨ Technical Specifications
Proyecto Las Compuertas is a passionate endeavor by the Durigutti brothers to preserve the historical heritage of Las Compuertas, one of Mendoza's oldest and most prestigious wine-growing zones threatened by urban encroachment. The name 'Las Compuertas' refers to the historic floodgates that historically distributed the precious meltwater of the Mendoza River to the surrounding vineyards. This Cabernet Franc is sourced from high-altitude, stony, and clay-loam soils situated at approximately 1,050 meters above sea level. To honor the purity of this historic terroir, the winemaking employs minimal intervention, utilizing native yeasts and aging in concrete eggs and untoasted foudres. This approach coaxes out a remarkably vibrant, mineral-driven expression of Cabernet Franc, characterized by wild herbs, red currants, and a distinct graphite-like tension.
🍾 About the Producer
Durigutti Family Winemakers was established in 2002 by winemaking brothers Héctor and Pablo Durigutti, who sought to champion Argentina's heritage terroirs through precise, artisanal winemaking. Their viticultural base centers on Finca Victoria in Las Compuertas, a historic high-altitude appellation within Luján de Cuyo perched above 1,000 meters along the Mendoza River. Here, ancient alluvial soils rich in silt, gravel, and limestone combine with intense Andean sunshine and marked diurnal shifts, creating optimal conditions for certified organic viticulture. Rejecting heavy-handed intervention, the Durigutti brothers emphasize spontaneous native yeast fermentations, concrete vats, ceramic amphorae, and judicious oak aging to preserve varietal clarity and site transparency. Their portfolio reflects an extraordinary stylistic breadth, anchored by the benchmark Proyecto Las Compuertas Malbec and the icon cuvée Esencia, alongside heritage recovery projects such as Cara Sucia and terroir-driven expressions from regional outposts across Mendoza and San Juan.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Cabernet Franc
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5-14%